Helen Keller wrote that “life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

Those of us who are blessed, or cursed, with wanderlust will certainly agree. We are either on an adventure, planning our future adventures, or just returning from one.

NextTribe takes small groups of women ages 45+ on fun, immersive trips across the country and around the world. We’re going back to Portugal in September 2026. Learn more here.

After our children had grown and flown the nest, my husband Tim and I began planning the next chapter of our lives. We retired, bought a teardrop camper and towed it across the country and into Canada, stopping along the way to hike and explore the local areas. We hiked the West Highland Way in Scotland and had plans to walk a coastal trail in England and through Tuscany in Italy.

But life doesn’t always turn out the way you expect or hope for. Tim was diagnosed with leukemia in late 2022, and died on Thanksgiving Day, 2024. And, like countless others who have lost a life partner, I was left trying to determine what path the rest of my life would take. After 40 years of sharing my life with a partner, how could I figure out who I was now? I only knew that adventurer was still part of who I wanted to be.

The Beginning of a New Path?

I began looking for travel companies that catered to single women travelers, and an Internet search brought me to NextTribe, where the tagline is “community and travel for bold women over 45.”

“That’s me,” I exclaimed. “I want to travel, I’m definitely over 45, and I consider myself slightly bold.”

My initial introduction to Jeannie Ralston and NextTribe was a weekend trip to Asheville earlier this year, where I met some amazing women, took a collage class, hiked a short way on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and saw parts of Asheville I had not seen before, in spite of living only a few hours away.

It became clear to me that this might be just what I was looking for–and needed.

But what I found most encouraging was the camaraderie of the women on this trip. They shared stories at dinner about past NextTribe vacations and discussed where they were going in the future. They talked about friendships formed and laughed and generally enjoyed the company of each other. It became clear to me that this might be just what I was looking for–and needed.

I chose Portugal as my first European trip with NextTribe. I had taken my granddaughter to southern Spain for her 16^th birthday, and fell in love with its beauty and history. I was interested in discovering if Portugal was as spectacular as it had been described.

I convinced my friend Devry to join me, and together we boarded a plane in Nashville, caught connections in New York City and Paris, and landed in Lisbon just in time for an afternoon glass of wine on the water. Our daring adventure had begun.

History and Joy in Lisbon

We Americans measure our history in decades, while Europeans measure theirs in centuries. On our first day in the city, our tour guide in downtown Lisbon told us we were walking on streets that covered Roman ruins. Twice a year visitors can walk where the ancient Romans walked when the ruins are opened for public viewing.

I was reminded of the joy that can be felt when shopping in the company of supportive women.

Each day in Lisbon, our group of 13 adventurers, led by Jeannie, walked the hilly, cobblestone streets of the city, breathing in the sights, sounds, and magnificent tastes of Portugal’s capital. We shopped, we drank wine, we participated in a cooking class, and we shared stories. We painted tiles in the ancient Portuguese tradition, and we were entertained by a traditional Fado performance.

Did I mention that we shopped? Jeannie led us to her favorite spots in downtown Lisbon and I was reminded of the joy that can be felt when shopping in the company of supportive women. Several of us began to wonder if our suitcases would hold all the newly purchased treasures.

After two days in beautiful, sunny Lisbon, we were off to the Douro Valley, where unparallelled beauty awaited our group of intrepid travelers.

Unreal Beauty in the Douro Valley

Imagine yourself inside a luxury inn surrounded on all sides by gloriously terraced mountains of grapevines under clear blue skies. You have a glass of wine in your hand as you sit by the outdoor pool, which appears to spill into the mountain below. Everywhere you look are vineyards and olive trees. A short walk down the mountain will lead you to a 18^th-century chapel on the banks of the Douro River that was used by wine merchants who would stop there and pray for a safe journey through the upcoming river rapids.

To say that our group was impressed with Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo would be a vast understatement.

To say that our group was impressed with Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo would be a vast understatement. Owned by the Amorim family, the richest in Portugal, Quinta Nova is a feast for the eyes with its eyes toward the future,  as it works to preserve the region’s wine-producing past.

It became the first wine estate in the Douro Valley to open for wine tourism. The hotel on the property is run by the high-end hotelier Relais et Chateaux. We picked grapes for the harvest, but, alas, could not stomp them Lucy Ricardo style. We toured a wine-making museum on the grounds, tasted the wines that are produced on site, ate world-class cuisine, tasted more wine, laughed and shared stories, and spent our evenings in quiet solitude in one of the world’s most beautiful locations. We all agreed that it was a magical, rejuvenating experience.

An Epiphany in Porto

Porto, our final destination, is the country’s second-largest city. It is a vibrant, noisy, fascinating city flanked by both the Douro River and the Atlantic Ocean. The city’s historic center was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996, and it was a perfect place to end our Portugal adventure. It was in Porto where our group experienced a true taste of Portugal, from the outdoor cafes located adjacent to 4-story apartment buildings where residents hung their clothes out to dry on the porches, to street musicians entertaining tourists as they strolled along the river. We shopped for gifts from street vendors and lamented over dinner about the impending end to our adventure.

Every one of us had stories of pain and heartache.

If I could describe my Portugal adventure with NextTribe in just a paragraph or two, it would be that this group of incredible and interesting women helped give me clarity about what this next chapter of my life could and will be. And that’s what makes traveling with “bold women” so special. Every one of us had stories of pain and heartache. We had experienced both the highs and lows that life can bring. We were married, divorced and widowed. Some had children, others did not. We hailed from the east coast to the west coast, and all points in between. And we were incredibly supportive of each other.

At dinner one evening, a moment of clarity came to me. Fellow traveler Bridget was preparing to solo hike the Camino de Santiago. Delcy and Suzanne were heading to Luxembourg to visit with a friend they had met on another NextTribe adventure. Others were discussing their upcoming trip to Mexico to celebrate Day of the Dead. Still others were headed back to work, thankful for the escape from reality this trip had afforded them.

“I can do this,” I thought, looking around the table. “I can be one of these wonderful women.” And that moment of clarity was what I had been seeking all along.      

 Now, I can’t wait for my next daring adventure.